Potato lovers, this one's for you: Hand-cut, double-fried Russet potatoes, served with Renoma's housemade dips, one tinged with bits of black truffles & the other made Malaysian with a spicy infusion of sambal terasi.

Hanger steak (or as the Brits might call it, skirt steak). Not bad, but what we really loved on this plate was not the meat, nor the ratatouille or the (rather weak) sauce Perigeaux but the fantastic truffled pomme puree.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A tale of two Japanese eateries: one in the city, the other suburban; one steadfastly traditional, the other cautiously experimental.

First up, Kingyo, which opened at Life Center this month, practically the same time that sushi-serving rival Doraku launched upstairs in this building.

Kingyo's prices are slightly on the steep side; its specialty roll, topped with seared minced 'toro' tuna belly & stuffed with avocado & spring onions, is a melt-in-the-mouth pleasure, but costs well north of RM60.

Ju.Ne's starters include worthwhile fare with fun-but-not-radical twists, including a big bowl of crunchy veggies on ice (love the Brussels sprouts) partnered with a savory anchovy sauce dip that's kept hot over a flame.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Andalucian Salmorejo from Cordoba, a puree of savory pleasures, spilling over with garlic bread, tomato, Jamon Iberico ham and hard-boiled egg. One of the best soups we've had this year; reminiscent in color to gazpacho, but much thicker and more flavorsome.

Roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with blood sausage, soaked in their own rich sauce.

Seafood and chicken paella. No one can accuse El Rincon of being saffron-stingy.

Cod fish cooked in tomato and roasted pepper sauce. A fine change from the run-of-the-mill cod recipes we often see in KL, thanks to a sauce whose comfortingly tangy, formidably creamy nature is the perfect partner for this fish.

Iberico pork ribs, cooked medium-well for a lip-smacking vestige of bloodiness that would normally be associated with lamb chops instead.

Suckling pig. Meaty, but carries too much of a porky stench for our liking.